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Suspect in fatal crash has history of drunken driving
Police believe vehicles involved in crash were in speed contest
| Sunday, Oct 14 2007 11:25 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Oct 15 2007 3:28 PM
Two men, who Bakersfield police say were racing Sunday evening when they crashed into a car on Stockdale Highway, were arrested on felony vehicular manslaughter charges, officers reported.
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Bakersfield police officers begin their investigation of the crash on Stockdale Highway near Fairway Drive. The accident killed one, sent two people to the hospital and closed east and westbound lanes of Stockdale Highway for several hours.
And one of the men, Jose Hernandez, 38, whose 2-year-old daughter was also injured, was also booked into jail on charges of felony drunken driving, child endangerment and driving on a suspended license.
Hernandez has two prior convictions for drunken driving on Nov. 6, 2006 in Bakersfield and Oct. 17, 2003 in Los Angeles County, according to records in Kern County Superior Court. His blood-alcohol level in 2006 was measured at .16, twice the legal limit of .08, court reports say.
He also has a prior conviction on Jan. 2 this year for driving while his license was revoked, records show.
He was sentenced to a year in jail for the drunken driving conviction and he was advised that if he was convicted in the future in the drunken driving death of someone, he could be prosecuted for murder and possibly spend the rest of his life in prison, transcripts show.
Superior Court Judge Michael B. Lewis gave Hernandez this warning: "Sir, I am required to advise you by law, pursuant to 23593 of the Vehicle Code, that driving under the influence is an act so inherently dangerous to human life that, if, as a result of you driving under the influence, a person is killed, you may be prosecuted for murder, and if you are convicted, you could be sent to prison for the rest of your life. Do you understand that?"
Hernandez replied, "Yes."
The other man, Ryan Weissrock, 22, was also charged with hit-and-run, police reported. He left the scene of the crash at Stockdale Highway and Fairway Drive, but returned later.
The woman who was killed in the crash was identified as Barbara Keyser Blair, 60, of Bakersfield.
The drivers of a Chevy Tahoe and Mitsubishi, who police said were racing, blew through a red light at Stockdale and Fairway Drive about 5:30 p.m. The Tahoe hit a Mercedes sedan that entered the intersection from Fairway.
"We believe the vehicles were engaged in some kind of speed contest," Sgt. Wally Whitaker of the Bakersfield Police Department said of the Tahoe and Mitsubishi.
The victim's husband, John Blair, was in critical condition at a local hospital, Lt. Scott McDonald said.
The girl in the Tahoe, which was driven by Hernandez, was identified as Ciara Hernandez and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police said.
The Mitsubishi was driven by Weissrock.
Stockdale Highway was closed for a couple of hours in both directions between El Rio Drive and Ashe Road while police investigated.
— Staff writer James Geluso contributed to this report.